A Ring, a key and a vow v2
by eriesalia
Summary: Unresolved relationships, the leadership of Asturia uncertain, and always the hint of war. DrydenMillernaAllen, AllenEries
1. 1

* * *

A Ring, A Key and a Vow  
An Escaflowne TV series fanfic

Timeline: End of series, continuing past the way too short episode 26. 

* * *

Airships were such an annoying method of travel for most. Only the well-funded could supply the crew necessary to keeping it up, pay for the costs of maintenance and mine the large levistones required to help keep it afloat.

However, the view from the airship was more than stunning and telling enough to warrant all such costs. Or at least that's what Dryden Fassa kept telling his poor beleaguered accountant who fretted over every little thing and in particular the cost of this one, newly commissioned and constructed for the purpose of speed and power.

And he was in a hurry, wasn't he? 

Dryden fiddled absently with his glasses as he looked out the porthole at the rapidly diminishing size of Palas, the capital of Asturia, and for a moment -- as he recalled those sad purple eyes -- thought to turn back. 

She was even beautiful even then, with the large tears welling up in her eyes. But those tears were not from a wife who loved him, but a woman who pitied him. 

He had taken his leave of Millerna, his wife by law, indicating that he was off to go live and work among people ­ to take an interest in them and to learn from them ­ all so he could become a better man. All so Millerna would forget that stupid knight and find her ideal in him.

But he hadn't much of a clue where to start.

He sighed disgustedly to himself as he turned his eyes away from the sight of the place he had thought was home. The truth was it was never home. It was simply a place to fulfill the path ordained for him. A place to make a brilliant political marriage and to serve as a temporary king. But in truth, he was and always had been a merchant. _.'You've been away from your books too long, Dryden. Best place is to start at home, lick your wounds, and find your direction. Meaning -- Find something far away from here as possible, and maybe you'll forget all about her.'_

He eyed the crotchety old man who had been brought to pilot the new airship sitting up front. Dryden mustered up every reserve of mischief left within him and crept quietly towards the front. And with every ounce of his strength, he exclaimed cheerlily, ""To home! To the Fassa Estate!" 

The captain jumped at the sudden and loud exclamation, and with only a glare at his foppish commander , adjusted the course. 

Dryden put on a brave smile as the airship tipped suddenly, changing its direction, away to someplace where he knew a welcome was waiting. 

~ 

The short little man peered around the corner, nose twitching with nervousness as he looked here and there.

He had seen something rather strange, and knew he should go find Princess Millerna, and ignore some of the unkind snickers or horrified expressions that often resulted whenever he was near her. He was, after all, a moleman who was found rather annoying or repugnant by some of the members of the court.

They thought him to be a stupid creature, infatuated with the Princess. But in truth, he was a lot more perceptive than most Gaeans would give him credit for, and his real concern for her welfare was why he was one of her few real friends.

The presence of several ladies in the hallway deterred him from moving from his spot behind a rather convenient drape. He stood silently and waited.  
  
He wondered to himself what Dryden was doing at the port. When the moleman had seen him there, he had thought to go up and pay his respects, after all, Dryden was a genial sort of person without all the biases and prejudices of the typical Asturian noble. 

The moleman would even venture to say that he would like to have Dryden as a friend. After all, Princess Millerna was newly married to him, and seemed to genuinely be fond of him, even though her marriage to him wasn't exactly the sort of thing most people had thought would work out. Most thought she was in love with Allen Schezar, Knight Caeli, and Asturia's protector. But the little man knew her better than most, and had been quick to see that she admired Dryden's eccentricity and seeming free-spiritedness, which masked his modern thought and practical nature. She and he traveled together constantly. Whether she was following him due to his limited capability on crutches or he was following her the moleman didn't know. But he could tell that Dryden loved to watch her work just as he did.   
  
The Princess still , however, could not be said to love Dryden. After all, she had been so obviously enamored of the Knight Caeli, Allen Schezar. But even that had seemed tempered lately after her return from Freid. The Knight was a man of many secrets, it seemed. 

Dryden was normally quite the opposite, however, and so as the moleman had stood in the shadows and watched Dryden pack his crew and his belongings into an airship he was bothered. They had chosen a more remote cove for the launch of the new airship. And by the very nature of all the things they brought with them, and also by the personages they took with them, they were preparing to go somewhere for a while. Dryden never took his steward unless he was picking up and going somewhere. And Mr. Moleman had seen the Mouse man climb onto the ship, whiskers trembling madly seconds before the ship had picked up and quickly tore out of port. 

The mole turned his attention back to the Princess' door as the voices of the ladies had disappeared around the corner of the hallway. He quickly and quietly knocked on the door.

"Enter," the Princess answered.

Mr. Moleman padded in quietly and shut the door. She sat in a chair facing the window, her back to him -- and yet his acute senses could almost feel her melancholy. 

"Princess--" Mr. Moleman cleared his throat nervously, "--is something the matter? Your sister Princess Eries mentioned that you had summoned the Knight Caeli--"

She looked at him with a tired, and somewhat wary expression. "Only a precaution--"

"I am glad, Princess." he spoke carefully, "I saw Lord Dryden leave today with his ship fully stocked and then the Knight was observed to leave your room in a state. I had assumed --"

"Mr. Moleman--" she leaned her head against the glass pane and closed her eyes. "Dryden left after giving me back his ring. He was releasing me from our marriage of convenience. And then I summoned the Knight to inform him of Dryden's departure and --" she paused uncomfortably.

"Your freedom to be with him?" the moleman's whiskers quivered.

"I did not say anything of the sort, " she shook her head, " He's off to fight another battle of his own. Maybe I didn't want to need him as I said -- but it was wrong to say anything at this time." 

"But you've loved Allen for so long." 

She said nothing to that fact, neither denying or admitting that truth. Her eyes instead filled with tears of doubt. 

The Mole offered her a handkerchief.

"I don't know myself anymore. I had every chance to say something to Allen, but I kept hearing Dryden's voice in my head promising to make himself a better person, to become worthy of me." She was gripping the cloth within her hand. " I returned his act of kindness with one of pure selfishness. Why did I tell him I might not wait?!"

"Princess--" the moleman paused uncertain what to say, clearly confused. 

A knock on the door came, and Millerna turned to the door and immediately composed herself as a handmaiden entered and announced that Princess Eries requested an audience on behalf of her lady.

Millerna nodded. As the handmaiden disappeared back through the door, her guard slipped again, showing the weight of emotions that pressed upon her. "Mr. Moleman, my sister too has noticed the strange turn of events." She was standing proudly, almost too proudly. " Please remember that Dryden has simply gone off to tour the kingdom, that is all." 

The moleman gave her a puzzled bow and then scurried out the door as quickly as he feet could carry him, past Princess Eries and her entourage, and back into the shadows. 

  
"Millerna," Princess Eries raised her eyebrow in greeting, surprised by the quick glimpse of the gloomy little moleman. "I've noticed several comings and goings lately and wanted to seek your advice."

Millerna rose to acknowledge her sister. "I suppose that you noticed Dry--"

Eries gave her a warning look before quickly dismissing her handmaidens. When they had drawn the door shut, she sighed as she pulled Millerna to the window bench. The two sat, staring outside, as they used to when younger. Much younger. 

The elder's eyes were sympathetic, but her voice was firm. "I know we are in the midst of war on Gaea and that our men must go off to observe or be part of that struggle, but I must give an answer to those who have come calling. " 

Millerna hesitated. The explanation was illogical. That her husband by law had given her back the ring that sealed their oath of marriage and had still claimed at the same time to love her made absolutely little sense. And Eries – how could her sister, who had never acted as if she had loved anything more than duty itself , ever understand?

"Millerna," Eries expression was kindly now, and not reserved or stern as it normally was. "Please tell me, so that I may help."

Millerna relented, putting on a brave smile on her face. She debated, and then after a pause, withdrew something from her pocket and placed it in one of Eries' hands. "Dryden gave me this."

"His signet ring?!" Eries gasped, the meaning all too clear. "Then--"

Millerna spoke mechanically, still trying to understand his words. "He told me to be happy and to be free to choose my happiness. He took his leave just an hour ago and did not tell me where he would go."   
  
Eries' voice took on an odd cast.. "Does this happiness include the Knight Caeli Allen Schezar?"

"Dryden released me, to be with Allen if that was my happiness." Millerna gave a soft, nervous laugh. "Allen took his leave shortly after, and I released him, as well. He is off to fight once again. Battles are his first love.. as for the second... there is only one woman in his life now."

"Celena--" Eries frowned momentarily, as they both recalled that woman. Celena - the sister of the man who Dryden thought to be Millerna's one true love -- had appeared only to disappear. Astutely and dutifully, Eries changed the subject. "Millerna, as we speak, nations are convening to fight, and your people are looking to you to show them how to live in times like these. Some of Asturia's ladies and lords have come here with questions."

"And?"

"And in Dryden's absence you must speak to them."

"I see, "Millerna smiled ruefully as she stood, " I hardly expect this to be a social call so soon and conveniently after Dryden leaves." Her chin lifted slightly as she realized that this was exactly the opportunity some of the nobles had been waiting for. "Will you attend me while I meet with them?"

"If it is your wish--"

"It is not my wish. It is something absolutely necessary." Millerna put aside the wake of confusion that Dryden's departure had created. "With Dryden away and with father ill, we two must be the show of force for Asturia."

Eries stood up with her and gave her sister a rare smile. If Millerna had understood her better, she would have understood its meaning. 

Princess Eries was proud. The nobles that had come demanding an explanation for all the recent events were indeed foolish. Both Princesses would not relent. Asturia's strength lay in its women. Despite the fact that she was the elder, she bowed to her younger sister.. "At your command, my queen." 

Millerna straightened her skirts and walked to the door. And Eries followed, sister behind sister. 

Down the hall they want, two women with their flock of attendants -- who in the absence of king and regent, would now rule Asturia.

As they entered the Great Hall, they both strode out to meet their subjects. Asturia would show no weakness today.

* * *

Author's notes: This initially was posted under my other alias starting back in.. 2002? I lost momentum on this fic when I got distracted by my first and second RK projects. (cough - and third and fourth and... coughcough). I'd like to put it back up under this alias and restart it in a way. Perhaps this time I'll break it more neatly - leaving the Dryden/Millerna/Allen angle resolved somewhere along the way and break off that other unresolved piece into its own side story. (And a much sadder one.) 

You can see I also am restructuring this and adjusting the tone. This replaces the previous parts 1 and 2. I may do more with Dryden's journey and with Millerna herself. 


	2. 2

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_A Ring, A Key and a Vow_: Two  
An Escaflowne TV series fanfic 

Timeline: End of series, continuing past the way too short episode 26.

* * *

The fist came from nowhere, and did not miss.   
  
"Long time no see!" a little lady guffawed in delight as Dryden winced. "Did you miss your nana?" 

At that comment, Dryden chuckled for there could be no other response. Nana – the name by which he had always referred to his father's mother -- may have lived many moons, but she certainly didn't act like any old wizened lady as society would have dictated.

For her benefit, he rubbed his stomach, feigning pain. It was the game they always played – knowing full well that he had never been in any danger of being harmed; after all, she was not only well past her sixth decade, but would dare not harm her only male grandson and heir to the vast fortunes of the Fassa merchant fleet. "Not when you punch like that!"

"Hmph. Still have a smart mouth, don't you?" Nana looked up at him fondly, "Looks like your hot-headed wife hasn't cured you of that."

Dryden winced at the description. Poor Millerna would be mortified to think that his own family thought her a bit of a shrew.

As they walked ahead away from the clearing that had served as his ship's landing area, Dryden quickly lifted his eyes and admired the tall spire of his family estate. Or rather – technically speaking – the spire of this estate, the first of many family estates.

"I see you're thinking what I'm thinking," she chuckled as she also shaded her eyes to look up. "Shall we go up and have a look?"

It was she who moved through the door and climbed the fastest up the stairs to the highest tower in the manse. That he was so slow did not bother him; it gave him a wonderful view of Asturia, and on a clear day, even beyond that. As he stared back in the direction of Palas, he wondered what the golden haired princess was doing now. Normally, at this time, Dryden and Millerna would be taking reports from the various Knights and stewards around the palace.

"I thought perhaps you would have changed somewhat, my boy." Nana finally broke the silence. "But marriage to a princess really hasn't made you into a respectable man!" She managed to reach up to teasingly poke his odd glasses and tweak his hair. "What a ruffian!"

Dryden shrugged, "No one ever seems to bother me much about that, Nana. Despite what you think, Millerna never once bothered me about how I look."

"Finally!" Nana looked annoyed. "Here I am fishing for news about your wife, waiting for you to mention her name and you are being deliberately obtuse!! How is your lovely princess?"

Dryden scratched his rough chin.

"I see," Nana was giving him a knowing look. "No mention of the princess means that you're here because of the princess. Come and tell me, why are you here? Did you make her angry and come here to hide while she cooled off?"

He looked up at the ceiling of the room that stood at the top of the tower. "No."  
  
Nana was not deterred. "Did she decide to take over the throne and rule by herself?"

"No!" Dryden grew a bit irritated. "She's not like that at all. She did not ask me to leave, or make me leave."

"Then--?"

He drummed his fingers on the balcony rail and took a deep breath before admitting to doing the most illogical thing any Fassa could have done. "I've left her."

Nana's eyes widened for a moment, before she turned her head to stare out in the direction of Palas.

From out of the corner of his eye, Dryden glanced at her. While her face was stoic, he could see the slight slump of her shoulders that told him, that she was disappointed.

"You won her, grew tired of her and left just like you leave all women in your life? Or is there some reason for this madness?"

Dryden shook his head, knowing that his past condemned him to at least this suspicion. "I'm not that terrible Nana. Millerna -- " he found himself for once feeling his words were awkward and inadequate, " -- Is the most beautiful thing in my life, but she doesn't love me. I'm not one to force her to live in a lie of a marriage, Nana. I can't look at marriage as a business proposition. I'm not my father."

"Thank goodness for that," Nana gave a sharp laugh, "And since Meiden is my son , I can say that without any fear of reprisal.You know I suspected when I saw you get off the ship without a ring on your hand." She picked up Dryden's bare hand and patted it. "Have you resolved to be done with her, then?"

Dryden shook his head. "I still want her, but I can't have her withering away. I left herm to be free to choose." A sad look crossed his grandmother's face – at that, he flashed her one of his carefree smiles. "And I intend to be her choice."

At his cockiness, Nana smiled. "That's my boy. Although I think you are sometimes an impetuous fool, Dryden, you are a kind one at that. And even though your competition is none other than the formidable Allen Schezar, I do not think all is yet lost."

"Allen… Schezar?" At the mention of his rival for Millerna's affections, Dryden looked a bit out of sorts. "How did you know? Did father tell you? Does he know?"

"Your father, like all those court ninnies are a clueless sort who wouldn't be able to construct any sort of reasonable guess as to the hearts of their own people. I know from reading you , Dryden, and from the circumstances surrounding your meeting with the Crusade and Millerna months ago. I also know the reputation of our dear Knight. In fact, if I were about forty years younger myself I'd --"

Dryden felt his mood sour further. _Was there any woman who didn't think Allen Schezar was a gift to womankind? _"Despite the fact that Millerna is in love with him, I actually do still like the Knight. Don't ruin that by extolling him further!"

His expression begged her to be serious. "Nana. I know you think I was foolish to leave, and I don't mean to place her in danger of court of gossip. I just thought to give her some happiness before the world destroys itself in battle. And if we live beyond this battle ­ I fully intend to win her heart."

"My kind boy, there is no need to worry about gossip. Allen Schezar has gone too to the battlefield, leaving Palas and the Princess behind. That leaves you to do whatever pleases you at the moment." She slapped him on the back for good measure. "So -- where does this mean Dryden Fassa goes to next?"

Dryden thought back to the words he had uttered to the woman he loved. "I'm off to make myself a better man, to live as everyone else does, to stop being one who lives cut off from the world.

His grandmother laughed. He could tell by her expression that she thought he was again spouting romantic fancies. She was too familiar with the incident with the mermaid and how he had gone off in a hurry to buy and free the poor beautiful creature from a rather greedy merchant. She wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes before catching her breath to speak. "It never fails to amuse me how in the light of so much going wrong that you manage to make everything sound optimistic and happy."

Dryden shrugged. "Would you prefer that I mope around here?"

"Of course not," she smiled. "But regardless -- it's not my place to tell you how to find your way, my dear grandson.. So if that is what you have set your heart upon, then so be it. But remember that time does not wait for those who wait for something else."

"I understand." Dryden nodded at her words, which painfully echoed Millerna's last words to him. She had told him that she, like time, would not be guaranteed to wait.

"But one warning, grandson" Nana seemed to grow taller in his presence as her voice grew stern. "You're used to romantic notions of love and marriage constantly discussed in your many books. Find the real key to love, and when you do, make sure to hurry back."

As she watched his mouth flap, Millerna realized that Lord Furun was starting to get on her nerves. 

She and Eries had sat patiently in their seats for several minutes and listened to the elderly noble man rant. They tolerated it thus far, out of deference to his friendship to their father. But with a battle nearly a stone's throw away and with so much of Palas worried about the outcome, the concerns of another landowner seemed trivial.

"… the fire damages to the properties under my ownership was quite extensive and I fear that without the assistance of the royal treasury, that restoration cannot be achieved… your father had agreed to assist his lord holders in such matters and it is under this agreement I beg your assistance."

Millerna rubbed her nose in annoyance. It was well known that Furun's properties were poorly constructed and as a result, had gone up like tinder in a furnace during the Zaibach attack. The royal treasury had already been used to procure all the raw materials to restore the property, even better than its prior condition, and to also house and feed those who were displaced in the attack. Furun was arguing for funds for material goods 'lost' in the fire, goods she knew were in fact worth only a small percentage of what he was petitioning for.

Dryden would have argued with the Lord by pointing out his even greater losses, but Dryden was not here. Millerna sighed. "Lord Furun. I must beg for your patience a bit longer, as war continues and we deal with that aftermath as well. I do not mean to belittle your request, but please enumerate the items lost and their value and have your own manager submit that document to the treasurer. We will redress that shortly after we are able to turn our focus away from the ongoing fighting."

Both Eries and Millerna saw the spark of irritation on the elder man's face, but Millerna calmed her desire to either lecture him or to give in. She knew Furun was well-funded and that he was one of the few lords in Asturia whose own coffers grew fat while others lived a less luxurious life. She doubted very much he had lost anything of his own value in those fires, and that the only real losses were to those who had been unfortunate to live in his own holdings. And she also knew his financial manager was much more scrupulous and would not dare submit anything frivolous to the treasurer. This would, she hoped, effectively squelch his request.

Lord Furun looked as if he might have continued on, perhaps provoking her with more "ideas as to what her father would have done."

"Your Highness—" Eries voice finally cut in.

"Yes," Millerna spoke, somewhat relieved by the interruption.

Eries was standing, pointing out the window at a bright column of light emanating from beyond the distant mountains.

All three – Eries, Millerna and Lord Furun -- stood transfixed by the ominous glow in the distance. It had to be coming from the battlefield.

Millerna composed herself. "Lord Furun, my apologies, but we must continue later."

Furun bowed frostily and withdrew as Millerna summoned a page. "Go ­ seek out all Knight Caeli in residence and find out the meaning of this light." The page nodded , clearly frightened by the seriousness of her tone and by the impressiveness of the light show in the distance.

When he left, Millerna looked again out the window, and knew that whatever it was, that Van, Hitomi and Allen were squarely in the center of it.

And Dryden? She hoped that in accord for his own distaste for war, that he was far far away.

* * *


End file.
